Golden Jaguars Head Coach Wayne Dover expressed confidence that his team will bounce back into contention stating that the match against the Soca Warriors could have gone either way but his team squandered a few chances in their 1-2 defeat against the Trinidadians.
He said the players are up to the task and they will be looking forward to the challenge at hand.
Although the current squad is not in training some players will receive valuable exposure this week while the others are active in local competition.
The Jaguars ranked 98 by FIFA face a stern test on Wednesday in the United States.
The Jaguars minus some of its key local-based players will clash with Guatemala currently ranked 122 by FIFA in Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday in a friendly international.
The squad to oppose Guatemala will comprise 13 overseas-based players as efforts to secure US visa for some of the players were deemed problematic.
However, Dover, manager Rawle Adams and local based players captain Howard Lowe, Dwight Peters, Dwayne Jacobs, Dwayne Alli and goalkeeper Derrick Carter will leave Guyana today for the United States for the showdown against the Central American side.
The side will also include Chris Nurse, John Rodrigues, Chris Bourne, Howard Newton, Fabian Brown and Brion Baker.
Dover said he will receive technical support from Mark Rodrigues and Stanley Harmon while in the USA.
“It is good to be given a friendly international of this high calibre but I was hoping that all of the players could have made the trip but it did not happen. It’s a bit unfortunate but the exposure will be good for those who will be there,” he added.
The local-based contingent is due to return to Guyana on Thursday.
Looking ahead to the Digicel Caribbean Cup, Dover said that he is looking forward to an encampment of the players on his return.
“Right now we are not together training but most of the players are active in local competitions, but I am looking forward to getting the players together on my return from Atlanta, he remarked.
The Soca Warriors and Golden Jaguars emerged the top two teams from Group F of the second stage and will now travel to Martinique later this month for the finals.
The Jaguars are grouped with Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz, Guadeloupe and the runner up of Group G second stage currently in progress in the playoffs. The Guyanese will face Guadeloupe on November 27 in their opening encounter of Group I at the Stade Dillion in Fort de France.
“We have a good change of reaching the finals but we will approach each game one at a time,” said Dover.
The Jaguars started the season unbeaten drawing with the Soca Warriors 1-1 two months ago at the National Stadium at Providence before going on to win their first stage in neighbouring Suriname with victories over the host, St. Lucia and Netherlands Antilles.
They drew with Haiti in the second before going down to the Trinidadians but bounced back to score a 2-0 win against St. Vincent and the Grenadines to advance to the finals as the second place team in the group.
